ClubSwan 42 title fight set for the Copa del Rey Mapfre 2026
by Copa del Rey MAPFRE 27 Jul 18:14 BST
1-8 August 2026
44 Copa del Rey Mapfre © Nico Martínez / Copa del Rey Mapfre
The reigning ClubSwan 42 World Champion and defending Copa del Rey Mapfre champion will face Nadir, representing Club de Vela de Andratx, and France's Glen Ellen in one of the regatta's most competitive one-design classes.
The ClubSwan 42 class is once again set to be one of the highlights of the 44 Copa del Rey Mapfre. Nine yachts will compete in the Bay of Palma in a fleet that has consistently produced some of the closest racing in the regatta's history. Spain will once again take centre stage with Pez de Abril, representing Club Náutico Villa de San Pedro, the reigning ClubSwan 42 World Champion and defending Copa del Rey Mapfre champion.
Owned by José María Meseguer, Pez de Abril arrives in Palma as the team to beat after claiming the ClubSwan 42 World Championship earlier this season and winning the most recent Copa del Rey Mapfre contested by the class. Its outstanding knowledge of the yacht, combined with one of the most experienced crews in the fleet, once again makes the Murcia-based team the benchmark.
Owner José María Meseguer is confident ahead of the 44 Copa del Rey Mapfre: "We arrive in Palma full of enthusiasm and with the team in great shape. The results we've achieved this season have given us a great deal of confidence. The ClubSwan 42 fleet is incredibly competitive, with eight rivals of a very high standard, and in one-design racing every detail can make the difference—we're talking about just a few metres. We've prepared well, we've trained hard and, above all, we have a very united team. Hopefully we'll be able to fight for victory and what would be our fourth Copa del Rey title. We'll see what happens."
However, the road to the title will be anything but straightforward. One of Pez de Abril's main challengers will be Nadir, owned by Pedro Vaquer and representing Club de Vela de Andratx. One of the strongest teams on the international circuit, the Mallorcan entry arrives determined to return to the top step of the podium, backed by its extensive experience racing in the Bay of Palma.
Joining the Spanish challenge is France's Glen Ellen, owned by Jean-Pierre Noël, one of the strongest crews on the European circuit and a serious contender to break Spain's dominance in a class where the performance differences between boats are virtually non-existent.
That level of parity is precisely what makes the ClubSwan 42 fleet one of the most spectacular classes of the Copa del Rey Mapfre. Racing under strict one-design rules means the yachts are almost identical in speed, placing the emphasis on starting strategy, boat handling, tactical decisions and flawless crew work to determine the outcome of each race.
Manu Fraga, General Manager of Real Club Náutico de Palma, highlighted the outstanding standard of the fleet: "The ClubSwan 42s are one of the iconic classes of the Copa del Rey Mapfre. This is a well-established fleet, with teams that have been competing together for many years and an exceptionally high sporting level. Having the reigning World Champion, the defending Copa del Rey champion and several of the class's leading international teams competing once again in Palma underlines the prestige our regatta continues to enjoy and guarantees world-class racing."
The ClubSwan 42 fleet will share the spotlight with the Baleària Women's Cup as the two one-design classes of the 44 Copa del Rey Mapfre, reaffirming Real Club Náutico de Palma's commitment to bringing some of the world's finest racing fleets to the Bay of Palma.
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